AN EX-pat Forester saved the lives of two women – and a pet dog – as a "mini-tsunami" devastated the Canadian town where he works in one of the worst natural disasters in the country's history.

Mark Meredith, who is originally from Sling near Coleford and is now an engineer in the water department of the High River council in Alberta, rescued the two women from their stricken Toyota vehicle just minutes before it was swept away by flood water.

All High River's 13,000 residents were evacuated from the town when the Highwood River burst its banks on Thursday, June 20.

The government of Alberta has pledged $50 million (£30 million) to help rebuild the town south of Calgary.

Mr Meredith spoke to the Review from his home in the hills outside High River – which escaped the disaster – just after finishing a 12-hour shift as the town pulled together to get people back to their homes where possible. The first residents returned home on Saturday.

Mr Meredith was taking materials in a dump truck to help divert flood water from houses when he found the Toyata 4Runner in the rising water.

Mr Meredith, who lives in the hills some six miles from High River said: "They were in a brand new Toyota and they were already wet. They were terrified.

"I told them to get into my vehicle and they just hugged me. Within about five minutes the vehicle was washed away."

Later in the emergency Mr Meredith waded waist-deep through water to get to a a shih tzu dog stranded on a bed in a flooded basement.

Around five communities, including the city of Calgary, were hit by flooding with High River "probably the worst hit" said Mr Meredith.

"He said: "The river was rising fast – about 500,000 gallons a second – I've never seen anything like it

"It was like a mini-tsunami coming through the town. It ripped up the railway so it looked like a pretzel.

Many people live in basements which were left under five feet of silt "like you'd get if you took a shovel down to the Severn."

Mr Meredith was also among town employees who went door-to-door warning residents to leave the area and has also been working to ensure fresh water supplies and he has been supervising a team making sure the sewers are free from blockages.

He said: "My job now is to deal with potable water, to make sure it is drinkable and to make sure the sewers are in good order."

He praised the work of colleagues in response to the flood: "There have been some real heroes out there. I was just doing my job – if you see someone in trouble you help."

Mr Meredith, whose parents Mike and Mary live in Sling, said Canada had "been good" to him since he arrived in the country in 1996.

He said: "I arrived with two suitcases of clothes but if you work hard here you can attain your dreams – I've got a $1 million house and another in Las Vegas."

The motorcycle enthusiast is hoping to take part in the Baja 500 motorcycle race in Mexico riding a Rickman bike built in Gloucestershire.